Weezer video stars lots of YouTube celebs

Posted by Mark Frauenfelder, May 23, 2008 12:20 PM | permalink

Robbo says; "Weezer has posted a great video on YouTube - "Pork and Beans" - featuring a huge collection of "internet stars" - they even have the band playing within a deluge of Coke + Mentos." Link

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Discussion

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#1 posted by ParoxAmore , May 23, 2008 12:24 PM

BNL did this better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoFMRXlNJ6Y

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#2 posted by Johnny Coelacanth , May 23, 2008 12:28 PM

I didn't get all of the references, but I think I just had a nerdgasm, anyway.

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#3 posted by Enochrewt , May 23, 2008 12:31 PM

Weezer kicked my mom off their tour bus once. True Story.

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#4 posted by everymarble , May 23, 2008 12:33 PM

yeah, do you think any of these internet dudes said to weezer: "uh, we're no Spike Jonze or anything, but we did this video a full YEAR ago for barenaked ladies... you sure you wanna go this route?"

probably not. "money? don't mind if i do!"

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#5 posted by Dillenger69

, May 23, 2008 12:50 PM

Did they get all those people to do that stuff, or was that just some really good CGI?
Both this one and the BNL one have their good and bad points.
I like the Weezer tune better.

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#6 posted by the boy

, May 23, 2008 12:53 PM

I like this one, but I kind of wish Rivers Cuomo would just get over himself.
"Timbaland knows the way
To reach the top of the charts
Maybe if I work with him
I can perfect the art"?
Rivers, are you being post-ironic, post-post ironic, or are you just really, genuinely this whiny and mopey?

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#7 posted by Wingo , May 23, 2008 12:55 PM

So if you really care, or are really bored, here they are:

I take no credit for compiling this whatsoever. I'm a dork, admittedly, but not totally insane. I stole it from Digg where some other guy stole it from somewhere else, or something.

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#8 posted by Reed Savory , May 23, 2008 1:18 PM

As much as I'm a big fan of Weezer, I have to agree here - BNL did it first, and I think did it better.

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#9 posted by Bonnie

, May 23, 2008 1:20 PM

I was just happy to see Charlie the Unicorn get props.

But damn, I really wanted to see a Xeni cameo!

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#10 posted by JeremiahBritt , May 23, 2008 1:32 PM

@ Wingo:

You forgot the tiny dancing horrors.

http://www.cartoonbrew.com/cgi/worst-mocap-ever

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#11 posted by Antinous , May 23, 2008 1:34 PM

The anthropomorphic Drama Prairie Dog was upsetting.

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#12 posted by fuzzycuffs , May 23, 2008 1:38 PM

EPIC

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#13 posted by Jake , May 23, 2008 2:13 PM

I thought I saw ZeFrank peek in there from the side at one point...

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#14 posted by Jake , May 23, 2008 2:14 PM

Hmm... on second look: nope.

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#15 posted by jere7my

, May 23, 2008 2:38 PM

I'm sure the BNL video was an influence, but this has a different feel to it. BNL's video strung together a bunch of clips of YouTube stars lip-syncing to their song; this is more of an ultimate crossover thing. BNL couldn't've shown the Kung Fu Guy ripping off the hood of the Ninja Guy to reveal the Peanut Butter Jelly Time Banana, for instance.

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#16 posted by PhiCancri , May 23, 2008 2:58 PM

I agree that both the Weezer and BNL's videos have a different feel to them and both took the idea in a different direction. Regardless of the fact if BNLs had the idea first, IMHO Weezer ran with the idea and made it a 1000 times better. There are so many references and classic Internet videos portrayed; ten times as many as BNL's video. And besides, I think the Weezer song is just better.

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#17 posted by jim.cowling , May 23, 2008 2:58 PM

"BNL did this better."

No, not even close. This was brilliant. An order of magnitude better than the BNL video.

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#18 posted by cycle23

, May 23, 2008 2:59 PM

Good god BNL sucks.

I thought "meth minute" did it first, and better, but Weezer is a second.

If I'd have remembered "BNL" meant "bare naked ladies", I would not have clicked that link. So sneaky!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2pPCkhYMQgY

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#19 posted by jonathan_v , May 23, 2008 3:12 PM

They have a different feel.

Weezer did it second, and was clearly inspired. That said, its a GIANT improvement on the concept.

The other band just strung together a bunch of lip-syncs... they basically gave the 'celebs' a preview of their album, they did their thing, and then strung the video together. It could have been done before or after the track's release, and without the band.

The weezer approach has everyone star in the video with them... it's a crossover and meeting of of the celebrities with each other, and the people they mimic. In a way, its kind of postmodern.

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#20 posted by Agent 86 , May 23, 2008 3:20 PM

Someone want to compile a list of links for The Meth Minute^39 version? It makes me feel less nerdy when I miss more than half the references.

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#21 posted by Marcelo

, May 23, 2008 3:21 PM

I agree. The Weezer one also recreated the circumstances of the videos themselves, like the stage in evolution of dance or the Miss Teen South Carolina pageant. It was like a Michel Gondry thing.

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#22 posted by cstatman

, May 23, 2008 3:44 PM

sorry, I enjoy BNL and weezer, but this guy did it better...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU

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#23 posted by rossangeles

, May 23, 2008 3:49 PM

Lot's of subtle tributes going on as well. At 37 seconds a nod to Guy Catches Sunglasses With Face bridges the gap from Mentos Experiment to Fensler G.I. Joe vid. Nice!

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#24 posted by skatanic , May 23, 2008 4:07 PM

Ok yes, BNL did this before but three main points.
1) Weezer is a much better band with a much better song.
2) Weezer has better web celebrities.
3) The overall feel and appearance of Weezer's video is better.
Bottom line, Weezer probably got the idea from BNL, but they changed it and improved upon the concept.

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#25 posted by kashmir kong , May 23, 2008 4:40 PM

I thought the video was pretty sub par.

1) Most of these net celebs are old news. Surely there was someone fresher than the Numa Numa guy or Kevin Federline or less worn out than Chris Crocker.

2) I think this is the 3rd/4th video like this where the celebs are shown doing their routine. The video is made assuming we know who these personalities are. The characters have been established, so why not spend the 3 minutes telling a story? Have them team up to fight spambots or something like that.

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#26 posted by Matt Sanderson

, May 23, 2008 5:53 PM

Oh, Barenaked Ladies can kiss my heinder. This is such a better video and song. I knew Weezer was doing this for the video, but I had no idea it would actually be done *well*. I mean, this is as gimmicky as it gets, but it works. I think it has to do with their using all the original people from the videos. And I also like to think it has something to do with Weezer's charm.

As for Rivers' lyrics... well, yeah, they're not that great. He's lost that gift of witty, cynical, all-around-amazing lyrics that he had years ago. It's a shame. But I still love the band.

Also, drumming with lightsabers? AWESOME.

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#27 posted by Wingo , May 23, 2008 5:59 PM

Also, drumming with lightsabers? AWESOME.

I couldn't agree more. The whole rest of everything stopped mattering when that part happened. I was giggling with glee...

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#28 posted by Chocolatey Shatner , May 23, 2008 6:20 PM

Can we have a counterpart to Godwin's Law that addresses the "Rick Rolling" phenomena? I'm looking at you, CSTAMAN.

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#29 posted by Cowicide

, May 23, 2008 7:31 PM

These videos make me absolutely furious. Hell hatheth no furry. I am shaking with anger over how these videos weren't done right compared to other videos I have seen before anybody else. I can barely even type because I only want to make tight fists and slam my keyboard repeatedly until my Mom calls me up from the basement for dinner. I can hardly even eat my Cheetos as my sticky, orange fingers tremble in anger especially when I realize how OLD all these memes are!1!!

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#30 posted by Registrado , May 23, 2008 8:04 PM

I love this video - a great mix of old and new references.

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#31 posted by Agent 86 , May 23, 2008 9:54 PM

wait, there are no furries in hell?

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#32 posted by Antinous , May 23, 2008 9:59 PM

wait, there are no furries in hell?

The sodomites were quite keen on keeping them, but the simoniacs wouldn't have it and packed them all off to purgatory.

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#33 posted by Anonymous , May 23, 2008 10:10 PM

The big list-o-references misses one, which is the scenario for that first webcam setup with the bright window behind the band members. Its a reference to the Pachelbel's Cannon guitar solo guy...

a nice bit of comment on virtuosity? (intentional or un)

a lot of meemexperiences integrated with a budget here...

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#34 posted by Cowicide

, May 24, 2008 12:52 AM

@#31

All furries have to do is say, "Hell hatheth no furry" 10 times in a row as fast as they can and they are exorcised of all furry sin. It's in the Bible.

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#35 posted by colin2go , May 24, 2008 1:02 AM

#25:

1. You've highlighted a funny little connection between people using YouTube to gain fifteen minutes of fame and well-established bands producing music videos. This video is fun because we all get to sit around thinking "Hey, I remember that!" Chris Crocker is old? Really? On what time scale?

2. Yeah, that would just be awesome. You should totally get into producing music videos.

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#36 posted by License Farm

, May 24, 2008 10:39 AM

@ Agent 86 #31: wait, there are no furries in hell?

While "hell hath no furry" wins the prize, I have to say:

When there is no more room in Hell, the furry will walk the earth.

I'm kind of surprised Anonymous didn't show up in this video anywhere. They'd have been more welcome than Rivers Cuomo's pornstache.